Apple butter in slow cooker

RECIPE FINDER

James Mentzer of McHenry, Ill., was searching for a reasonable recipe for making apple butter. Maxine Anderson of Kingston, Wash., sent in her recipe that is made in a slow cooker.

Fall seems like the ideal time to cook a batch of this delicious condiment while the apples are so plentiful in the markets and farm stands. Anderson's recipe did not specify any particular type of apple, so I tested it using a combination of Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples. Naturally, the type of apples you choose will affect the overall sweetness of the finished butter.

This recipe is simple to make. The only time-consuming part is peeling and chopping the apples; then the slow cooker does all the work. Your house will smell wonderful all day. The finished product keeps well in the refrigerator or can be frozen.

Note: We understand that some readers are having difficulty locating the red Russian dressing called for in the Good Chicken recipe that ran in this column on Aug. 29. I was able to find the 8-ounce bottle of Russian dressing made by Wishbone at my local Super Fresh store.

All-Day Apple Butter

Makes 4 pints

8 to 10 apples, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups sugar

3 to 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place apples in a slow cooker. Combine other ingredients, pour over apples and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook for 9 to 11 hours longer, or until thickened and dark brown.

Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth, if desired. Spoon into jars and refrigerate or freeze. The jars do not necessarily need to be sealed.

Antoinette Cerrito of Greensboro, N.C., is looking for a recipe for fig preserves. She also would like to have a recipe for Italian cannoli filling.

If you are looking for a hard-to-find recipe or can answer a request, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278, or e-mail recipefinder@ baltsun.com. If you send more than one recipe, put each on a separate piece of paper or attachment with your name, address and daytime phone number. Names and addresses must accompany recipes to be published. Letters may be edited for clarity.